BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Company Rescue Consultation

Patrick McFadden: Yesterday we launched a consultation on measures aimed at enhancing further the rescue culture to give struggling, but viable, companies a greater chance to succeed, thus saving jobs and providing better returns to creditors. In particular, the proposals consider:
	extending to medium and large-sized companies the option of a moratorium against creditor action — currently only available to small companies — so they too can have a "breathing space" in which they can seek to agree with their creditors a means of securing a company rescue by means of a company voluntary arrangement;
	the introduction of a new court-sanctioned moratorium available to all companies, again to allow them time to reach agreement on a company voluntary arrangement; and
	providing greater security to repayment of monies loaned post company voluntary arrangement or administration, to allow firms in difficulties more chance of accessing the funding they need to get back on track.
	The proposals are part of the Government's business rescue measures that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the 2009 Budget report earlier this year.
	We intend actively to engage with stakeholders throughout the consultation, testing our assessment of the possible impacts of the policy proposals, and welcome views on whether this package is the best way of achieving our aim of making company and business rescue easier and more successful. The consultation closes on 7 September 2009.
	A copy of the consultation document will be laid in each of the Houses of Parliament.

TREASURY

Tax Arrangement (UK/Cayman Islands)

Stephen Timms: A new arrangement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Cayman Islands for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion was signed in London on 15 June 2009.
	After signature, the text of the arrangement will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses and made available on HM Revenue and Customs' website. The text will be scheduled to a draft Order in Council and laid before the House of Commons shortly.

DEFENCE

Service Voter Registration

Kevan Jones: I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the report of a survey on service voter registration conducted by Defence Analytical Services and Advice in November 2008.
	The MOD has continued to work with the Electoral Commission and the Ministry of Justice to improve awareness among our armed forces personnel and their families of their options on registering to vote. This survey was undertaken to provide an estimate of the numbers of service personnel who are currently registered to vote and to draw comparison with the results of similar surveys carried out in each of the previous three years. These surveys help us to judge how best to encourage service personnel to register in future.
	I welcome the survey, as it provides the facts needed to refine future work. It indicates that 65 per cent. of service personnel are currently registered, compared with 69 per cent. in 2007 (a decrease that is assessed as not statistically significant), 63 per cent. in 2006 and 60 per cent. in 2005. Of those registered in 2008, the majority (75 per cent.) chose to register as ordinary rather than service voters. The level of voters registered as overseas voters has remained at 1 per cent.
	We acknowledge that there is still work to be done. The results of the survey will help to indicate where our efforts should be concentrated for the future. By continuing to work closely with colleagues in the MOJ and the EC to understand what might be the reasons behind the results, we hope to make further improvements to the quality of information available to our service personnel and their families. We remain committed to improving arrangements for the service community to exercise their right to vote.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Coastal Change Policy

Hilary Benn: I would like to inform the House of a new coastal change fund that I am establishing. The fund, of up to £11 million, is designed to support communities in adapting to coastal change. I am inviting bids from local authorities interested in becoming coastal change pathfinders to pilot new approaches to planning for, and managing, change in partnership with their communities. Further details are set out in the "Coastal Change Policy" consultation which has also been published. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The consultation also seeks views on using the coastal change fund to enable coastal local authorities to help homeowners who lose a property to coastal erosion with demolition and moving costs. The consultation proposes that a grant of approximately £4,000 per property lost would be available to local authorities for this purpose.
	Through the pathfinder programme, authorities will be able to test ideas and guidance on possible approaches to planning for and managing coastal change adaptation. Approaches could range from projects to help maintain beach access points damaged by coastal change; "buy and lease back" schemes to ease the transition where a property is at risk of being lost; and support for "roll-back" of caravan parks at risk.
	These coastal change proposals are part of the Government's wider programme to support communities in adapting to flood and coastal erosion risk. It reflects the commitment, made in the Government's "Making Space for Water" strategy, to effective management of flood and erosion risk in a sustainable way which takes account of climate change. We will defend where it is sustainable and affordable to do so, but it will not be possible to protect every piece of coastline.
	Where this is the case, communities will need to start preparing for and managing change. Significant progress has already been made with a programme of activities designed to support adaptation. These include the provision of better planning information through shoreline management plans and support for households to protect against flood risk through a £5 million grants scheme.
	The consultation closes on 25 September 2009 and copies can be found via the DEFRA consultation website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/coastal-change/index.htm

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Hilary Benn: The Under-Secretary of State responsible for Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Ogmore (Huw Irranca-Davies), represented the United Kingdom at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 25 May. Richard Lochhead and Michelle Gildernew also attended.
	On fisheries there was an exchange of views on the Commission's Green Paper on reform of the common fisheries policy, focusing on the main issues of concern to each member state, rather than a structured discussion on specific questions. There was much recognition of the need for widespread reform, with no member state supporting the status quo overall, however there was no real consensus about the detail of reform.
	Under any other fisheries business, the Commission updated the Ministers on their thinking on tackling the problem of discards. Though they expressed disappointed at the rate of progress so far, they were optimistic that some improvement could be made without having to wait for the common fisheries policy to be reformed.
	On agriculture the presidency presented draft Council conclusions on the simplification of the CAP which all Ministers could support. Sweden, as upcoming presidency, confirmed its intention to come back to the issue of CAP simplification at Agriculture Council in November, with a view to ensuring progress is made on concrete simplification proposals. The Commission welcomed the Council conclusions and confirmed that their officials were already analysing the 39 specific simplification suggestions made in the list compiled at the previous Agriculture Council. The presidency confirmed that the conclusions had been adopted.
	There were a number of further items under any other business. France, Germany and Austria called for a range of new measures to ease perceived dairy sector woes.
	France introduced a paper on the economic situation of pigmeat producers, arguing that export refunds should be reactivated, particularly given the strength of the euro and due to a decline in pigmeat consumption in some member states as a result of Novel Flu.
	Poland tabled a paper expressing concerns about an increasing disparity between producer and consumer prices, complaining that farmers/producers were not benefiting from the increased consumer prices owing to the putative anti-competitive behaviour of large retail outlets.
	Finland introduced a paper on the killing of livestock by carnivores (such as wolves, bears etc) whose populations had increased as a result of protection afforded under the Habitats Directive. They requested amendments to state aid rules to permit payments from national funds to be made to farmers to compensate them for such losses to livestock.
	The presidency confirmed that the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) meeting in New York had reached consensus on a final document that agreed on the urgent need to increase efforts on international food security and sustainable agricultural development. The Netherlands, who chaired the meeting in New York, gave an update urging colleagues to ensure that sustainable agriculture remained a feature of their preparations for the Copenhagen Climate Conference.

HEALTH

Cross-Border Health Services for Wales

Mike O'Brien: The House of Commons Welsh Affairs Select Committee published its report "The Provision of Cross-Border Health Services for Wales" on 27 March 2009. We are today laying before Parliament the Command Paper (Cm 7647) setting out the Government's response to the Committee's report.
	The Government have considered the Committee's report and welcome it as a helpful contribution to the debate about the provision of health services in England and Wales. The Command Paper sets out the Government's response to the report and discusses the commissioning and funding of services and arrangements to co-ordinate service provision.
	The Government believe that the core principles of the national health service apply across the UK and an inevitable and healthy consequence of devolution has been some divergence in health policy between England and Wales. The Government agree with the Committee that the border between England and Wales does not represent a barrier to the provision of health care.
	On 1 April 2009, a new protocol between the Department of Health and the Welsh Assembly Government for the commissioning of cross-border health services came into effect. The revised protocol, which has been placed in the Library, is in place for two years with annual negotiations required to agree funding.

JUSTICE

Probation Qualification Framework

Maria Eagle: Today, I have published a consultation document proposing new arrangements for the training and qualification of probation practitioners. The consultation period will run until 31 July 2009. Copies of the consultation document are available in the Libraries of both Houses. Copies are also available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.
	The current arrangements for training probation officers is due to expire and the consultation will seek to gain the views of all those who have an interest in the work of probation practitioners, on proposed new arrangements.
	The consultation document proposes that the minimum qualification for a probation officer remains at honours degree level. Approved prior learning gained in higher education could be accredited so that the qualification can be obtained during the first year of employment with a probation service. This maintains the current standard of qualification but allows probation areas more flexibility in workforce planning.
	It is proposed to introduce a minimum qualification for probation service officers of an NVQ level 3 and also to introduce a foundation degree that would allow career progression to probation officer for existing staff.
	Multiple entry routes on to the framework will enhance the opportunities for existing staff and give more flexibility for probation areas to maximise their workforce planning strategies. The proposed introduction date of April 2010 will ensure that there is no training gap and allows sufficient planning time for the implementation of the new arrangements.